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Mount Vernon URA seeks HUD-eligible funding to buy two failing fire pumpers
Summary
URA executive director Pamela Tarlow told the board Oct. 7 that two fire pumpers are failing and that HUD‑eligible CDBG funds could be used to purchase two pumpers, which staff estimated would cost about $1.9 million. Staff said procurement would use Sourcewell cooperative pricing and that the trucks would be placed in downtown fire stations to
Mount Vernon Urban Renewal Agency staff on Oct. 7 told the board they are planning to use HUD‑eligible funds to purchase two fire pumpers after repeated equipment failures left the department operating with loaned apparatus.
Executive Director Pamela Tarlow said the city currently has two pumpers out of service and a loaner from Yonkers in use. “We cannot fight fires without pumpers,” she said, explaining that pumpers are the apparatus that supply water from hydrants to firefighting hoses. Tarlow said the URA has identified pumpers available under a Sourcewell cooperative contract and that two pumpers could be obtained for “just under $2,000,000.”
Staff detailed price variation depending on specifications. Tarlow said some rigs spec’d to match Mount Vernon’s existing connections would cost about $1.1 million apiece, while other models from manufacturers used by the city (Pierce) were quoted at roughly $900,000 per truck. She said alternatives together could cost roughly $2.3 million in aggregate if different specs were used.
A URA staff member explained how the purchase would meet HUD national objectives: the pumpers would be stationed in Fire Station 3 in the downtown core and in Fire Station 2, serving areas the agency identified as low‑ and moderate‑income. “We are placing these pumpers in a low and mod income area,” staff said, which is the HUD objective cited for the eligibility of the purchase.
Tarlow said prior plans had allocated approximately $1.8 million toward fire‑related capital needs; the immediate equipment need and HUD eligibility for fire equipment prompted staff to prioritize purchase of pumpers now and defer some nonessential work to future budgets. Staff also noted that the cooperative procurement (Sourcewell) is accepted under federal procurement rules and aligns with the city’s procurement system.
Board members asked about timing; staff said one quoted truck could be delivered by December and that purchases would be coordinated with the city’s procurement and acceptance processes. No formal vote was taken in the meeting, which was a study session.
Ending: Staff will return with procurement details, firm quotes and an updated capital plan for review at a future meeting.
